Xi urges quick steps toward a political solution to crisis

Efforts should be stepped upto seek apolitical solution to the crisis in Yemen, Chinese President Xi Jinping told Saudi Arabia's King Salmanina telephone call, after the United Nations chief called for international action to end the Saudiled air campaign on Houthi rebels.

A Saudi-led coalition began an air campaign on March 25 after Yemen's Houthi rebels, who runmost of the country, closed in on the southern port city of Aden and forced Saudibacked President Abd-Rabbu Mansour to Riyadh.

"The situation in Yemen concerns the security and stability of the Middle East, especially the Gulf region, and efforts on the political resolution process for the Yemen issue ought to be speeded up," Xi said, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.